This past Monday, the Sustainable Business Network of Washington hosted a lecture given by the founder of a new performance clothing company called Atayne. They are based here in the D.C. area and are giving their company a great foundation.
A sustainable business, Atayne is creating their sport tops out of…well, trash. They are sourcing recycled polyester (from plastic bottles) and activated carbon (from coconut shells) for the fabric to make their clothing. They also have a take-back program to recycle retired garments, and sponsor running events where they collect trash and recycleables (not necessarily for their garments!).
Some interesting tidbits we took away from the presentation:
- 25% of all chemicals are used by the textile industry.
- There is an 85% chance that a garment will end up in a landfill within 1 year.
- 80% of environmental impact comes from an item’s use.
- 50% of all clothing is polyester.
It was refreshing not only to listen to a company talk about starting up and the challenges they are facing to maintain their vision, but to learn about a performance apparel company that’s based in the D.C. area!
